CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina: Prosecutors plan to seek the death sentence for a man accused of killing three Muslim students in North Carolina last month.Durham County District Attorney Roger Echols filed papers in court that show he plans to seek the death sentence if Craig Stephen Hicks is convicted of first-degree murder.Hicks has been charged with killing 23-year-old Deah Shaddy Barakat; his wife, 21-year-old Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha; and her sister, 19-year-old Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, on Feb. 10.Police say the shootings were over a long-running dispute over parking at the condominium complex. The victims’ families have said religious bias played a prominent role in the shootings.A hearing is set for next month on Echols’ request to seek the death penalty if Hicks is convicted.

Tripoli: Warplanes of the internationally recognized Libyan air force struck Tripoli’s militia-controlled Mitiga airport Tuesday without causing any casualties, both sides said.It was the latest in a series of raids carried out in recent months by forces loyal to controversial anti-Islamist general Khalifa Haftar, who was named head of the government’s armed forces on Monday.Airport spokesman Faouzi Milad said Tuesday’s r...

LONDON: Audio tapes have surfaced in which a man identified as “Jihadi John” complains about scrutiny from British intelligence services.The tapes contained a man identified as Mohammed Emwazi describing to the Muslim advocacy group CAGE his encounters with British agents in 2009.They were played by the BBC Tuesday and discussed on-air by CAGE research director Asim Qureshi.On the tape, Emwazi described how a British agen...

A team of doctors led by former Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah separated Egyptian parasitic twins at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) on Sunday, the second such operation in two days at the facility.Al-Rabeeah had led a team on Saturday that separated Yemeni conjoined twins in a nine-hour...

Legal experts have called for a law that would penalize owners of camels that cause road accidents. “Until now there is no law in Saudi Arabia that would penalize the owner of a stray camel for causing a fatal road accident,” said Ahmed Al-Ashwan, a Saudi lawyer.Currently, the traffic law considers leaving animals along roa...

Experts have identified five main reasons including late marriages and increasing cases of abortion for the fall of fertility rate among Saudi women.“The fertility rate of Saudi women declined from 2.9 children in 2013 to 2.8 children in 2014,” said one expert. The Kingdom maintained its second position in the Gulf, after O...

The Kingdom has condemned the Islamic State group for targeting innocent civilians and destroying cultural heritage in Iraq.The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Monday at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, slammed the extremist group for the destruction of centuries-old items in Mosul.M...

The Ministry of Social Affairs has taken custody of the two children of a mother who is suspected of killing her eight-year-old son.The police arrested the woman, 38, for allegedly striking the boy with a hard object against his head, which resulted in his death last week, according to a recent report in a local newspaper.J...

Umm Al-Qura University recently organized an annual education forum to help students choose their career paths accordwwing to their interests and skills at King Abdulaziz Hall in Babidah University.Bakri bin Matouk Assas, director of the university, inaugurated the forum in the presence of a number of university officials a...

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman thanked the scholars and experts who participated in last week’s anti-terrorism conference hosted by the Muslim World League in Makkah, said Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Toraifi, following the weekly Cabinet meeting. Al-Toraifi briefed Cabinet members on his meeti...

Road cleaning workers leaving their work to beg at road intersections and public utilities or commercial centers is now a common feature.One reason why laborers are attracted to begging is there are some people who sympathize with them and give them money in charity.Muhammad Al-Munjem said he respected the cleaning workers...

More than 500 volunteers participated recently in a campaign titled Waste Free Environment to clean up Jubail’s beaches, highways and islands.During the annual Waste Free Environment Week, responsible and enthusiastic organizations and people from all over the world join hands for cleaning up their local environment. The ca...

Eighteen cases were tested positive for corona virus after checking 1,493 samples across the Kingdom last week. The Ministry of Health said this in a weekly statement for the period from Feb. 22 to 28. Twelve of the confirmed cases were in Riyadh and one each in Al-Ahsa, Alkhobar, Jeddah, Najran, Buraidah and Al-Jouf, while...

A grand international book fair will be inaugurated by Adel Al-Toraifi, minister of culture and information, on Wednesday.“The book fair will feature a bulk of literature, including major titles from South Africa, which is the guest country at the fair this year,” said Ahmed Al-Zahrani, a spokesman at the Ministry of Cultur...

No one was injured when a fire broke out in a baggage conveyor belt system at the King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) on Monday.Passengers contacted by Arab News said that the fire was possibly caused by some “friction or by the massive loads of luggage that was ferried by the poorly-maintained conveyor belt at a busy...

The Ministry of Health recorded 2,139 domestic violence and abuse cases at its facilities in 2014, with married women, children and the elderly being the main victims.The ministry’s department of domestic violence and mental health stated that the Eastern Province recorded 466 cases, about 21.8 percent of the total. Jeddah...

More than SR2 trillion have been invested in 6,871 industries across the Kingdom, said Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah on Tuesday, adding that the industrial sector employs 935,000 people, mostly expats.Addressing the industrial opportunities forum in Riyadh, he emphasized Saudi Arabia’s determination to inc...

The sixth Business and Management Forum has begun with the support of Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Naif. The three-day event will continue till March 5 at Sofitel Hotel in Alkhobar.Abdullah bin Jalawi Al-Shaddadi, head of the forum, said that the sixth forum is titled "Leadership and its development in a changing e...

The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) rose 1.1 percent on Tuesday as investors' attention shifted back from the property sector to banks and petrochemicals which had traded nearly flat in the previous few sessions.Oil prices are also providing support to heavily weighted petrochemical stocks. Tadawul’s petrochemical industries...

BARCELONA: BlackBerry will launch four new smartphones this year and a new package of cross-platform applications as it continues its “philosophical” shift to making software.The struggling company unveiled its BlackBerry Leap phone at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona on Tuesday. The “low-to-mid” market...

TOKYO: Sharp shares have dropped after a report said the struggling Japanese electronics firm will ask its key lenders for aid, as it eyes the closure of money-losing units.The Tokyo-listed stock plunged nearly 10 percent in opening trade, but later narrowed its losses to finish 3.54 percent lower at 245.0 yen.Investors wer...

SAN FRANCISCO/BEIJING: Two years after US legislators branded it a national security threat, China's Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is planning a campaign to win over US consumers, rolling out new mobile phones and wearable devices backed by a marketing effort.China's second-largest smartphone maker, already with more than $4...

BARCELONA: BlackBerry will launch four new smartphones this year and a new package of cross-platform applications as it continues its "philosophical" shift to making software.The struggling company unveiled its BlackBerry Leap phone at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona on Tuesday. The "low-to-mid" market...

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s budget for 2015-2016 on Saturday had a great disappointment for the large community of overseas Indians as much as for the country’s stock exchanges.All that the government seemed to say was that the non-resident Indians (NRIs) could participate in the nation building activities throug...

A positive end to the week saw sterling further its gains against both the euro and US dollar, as a member of the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee spoke out about the dangers of a premature increase in US interest rate.The week ahead could be an important one for sterling, with a host of data released from the...

SAN FRANCISCO: Hewlett-Packard is buying wireless networking company Aruba Networks for about $2.7 billion, in what amounts to HP's first major acquisition since its disastrous purchase of a British software company in 2011.Aruba, based in Sunnyvale, California, makes Wi-Fi networking systems for shopping malls, corporate c...

More than half of respondents who responded to a recent survey in Saudi Arabia believe that their financial position will improve in the next six months, A majority (65 percent) of the respondents are also expecting the cost of living to increase, according to the poll.The Middle East and North Africa Consumer Confidence In...

News that Greece has reached an agreement on 20 February with its European creditors to extend the bailout program for four months seems to have cheered up markets. Yields on 10-year Greek government bonds have fallen by more than a percentage point in the two subsequent trading days. Meanwhile, Greek stocks jumped by almos...

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Dareen M. Edress is the marketing manager of “Ba9ma Banat,” an innovative institution that revives the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) among young girls through different programs and interesting products such as calendars, diaries and books comprising the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh).In a conversation with Arab News...

PASADENA, California: A NASA spacecraft is about to reach the end of a nearly eight-year journey and make the first rendezvous with a dwarf planet.The Dawn craft will slip into orbit Friday around Ceres, a dwarf planet the size of Texas. Unlike robotic landings or other orbit captures, the arrival won’t be a nail-biter. Still, Dawn had to...

MILAN: Femininity is getting a rethink in Milan.Designers are incorporating more masculine tailoring, while giving a contemporary edge to normally girly touches like bows, ruffles, lace and, yes, polka dots. Among the runway trends during Milan Fashion Week, in its fourth day Saturday, are silken blouses tied with an off-skew bow around th...

If you are interested in majestic landforms, scenic drives, pleasant weather, a place where ancient meets contemporary, and a small town vibe, then the city of Sedona is the place for you. Upon entering the city limits, its charm and striking backdrop will pull you instantly. A magnificent destination for international travelers and a quick reju...

When I first heard that Em Sherif has franchised to Dubai, I couldn’t stop myself from booking a table there. The Lebanese restaurant will also open its doors in Jeddah soon. Located in the outdoor area of the Address Downtown hotel in Dubai and overviewing the Dubai Mall’s famous dancing fountain, the restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating for 300 diners at once. The outdoor seating area comprises white steel chairs and marble tables with romantic candlelight set up. Shisha is also served here. The inside decor features a Mediterranean touch, with silver blue walls, beautiful coral chandeliers and black wooden tables with velvet armchairs and black wooden chairs with blue...

Last week, I wrote about ways to protect children and adults from everyday toxic bombardments. I also started with what Christopher Gavigan, author of Healthy Child, Healthy World and CEO and Executive Director of the non-profit www.healthychild.org, recommends of healthy practices to parents in order to reduce toxins in their children’s lives. In the previous article, I stopped at chemicals in processed, fried, and fast foods, soda and sweetened beverages, and additives (colorings, preservatives) in foods and medicines, which have become part of our children’s daily consumption. Today I will continue with Gavigan’s recommendations:• Overcleaning and sterilizing children’s environments...

About 90 percent of camels in the Gulf region are carriers of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which requires the urgent need for a vaccine, according to a leading Health Ministry official.In addition, the virus can be transmitted over a 1-meter distance, Abdullah Asiri, undersecretary for preventative health at the ministry, was quoted as saying in a local publication on Tuesday.Asiri said that 50 percent of camels in Al-Ahsa region carry the virus. A person who comes into contact with infected camels can transmit the virus to family members without showing symptoms of the disease, he said.He said mass extermination of these camels was not an acceptable solution...

LOS ANGELES: Jennifer Lawrence will star in Steven Spielberg’s “It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War,” US media said Monday.Warner Bros studio secured the rights to the memoir by Lynsey Addario, the award-winning American international photojournalist, after an auction, Variety said.“American Sniper” producer Andrew Lazar will also be involved, it said, citing sources.Addario has traveled to war-torn countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq and was part of a New York Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009.Lawrence, 24, who won an Oscar in 2013 for “Silver Linings Playbook...

NEW YORK: Madonna on Monday announced concerts across North America and Europe to support her new album, her first extensive shows since a high-grossing and controversy-filled global tour in 2012.The pop superstar will start a 35-date tour to accompany her “Rebel Heart” album on Aug. 29 in Miami, with concerts across North America as well as a show in Puerto Rico before she heads to Europe in November.Madonna’s last scheduled concert is on December 20 in Glasgow, but a statement from concert promoters said that she would soon announce additional dates in Asia and Australia.If they go ahead,...